From Atlanta: Sam Darnold turnovers endanger playoff run; coach’s Ty Okada love
This game began like week’s began. Like too much of this season has gone for Sam Darnold.
With another turnover.
Sunday against the Atlanta Falcons, the Seahawks quarterback threw his 11th interception for his 16th turnover in less than 13 full games. It was with the score tied at 3 early in the second quarter.
Darnold rolled out to his left. He had time and room across open green turf inside Mercedes-Benz Stadium to run — jog, really — around the edge defender for a first down. Instead the quarterback waited, and waited, for a receiver to come open. None did.
He forced a pass to covered tight end Elijah Arroyo. It was high into the rookie’s hands. Atlanta defensive back A.J. Terrell tipped the ball into the air behind him and Arroyo. Mike Hughes intercepted it at the Seattle 30. The Falcons, playing without Michael Penix Jr. because their starting quarterback from the University of Washington is out for the season injured, didn’t do anything with Darnold’s turnover. They didn’t do anything with anything Sunday. Atlanta is 4-9 after losing 37-9 to Seattle Sunday.
Yes, Darnold rebounded with three touchdown passes in the second half, two to Jaxon Smith-Njigba and the other for Cooper Kupp’s second TD of the season. That was after Rashid Shaheed changed this game with a 100-yard kickoff return to begin the third quarter. That awakened the Seahawks from a 6-6 slog.
Yes, Darnold completed 20 of 30 for 249 yards, just below his 68.2% completion rate coming in, but above the 243 yards passing he’d been averaging per game. He now has 22 touchdown passes on the season.
And yes, Darnold ran more later in the game, after choosing not to run before he threw that interception. He scrambled for 12 yards after looking to pass later in the second quarter, for a first down. He ran again looking to throw on a first down in the third quarter, for 8 yards. He needs to do more of that. The 6-6 tie at halftime Sunday became 37-9 and the 13th win in 15 road games in two seasons under coach Mike Macdonald.
Tight end AJ Barner said in the locker room following the win: “It’s not acceptable to start the way we did. It has to be better.”
But the turnovers. It’s not acceptable, either. It’s no way to win the NFC West, which Seattle (10-3) can do by winning its final four games. And it’s no way to win in the playoffs next month.
Darnold now leads the NFL in turnovers. He’s one of ahead of his Seattle predecessor Geno Smith and Miami’s Tua Tagovailoa.
Darnold’s 16 turnovers in 13 games, including his five lost fumbles, equal how many giveaways he had in 17 games all last regular season with Minnesota.
The News Tribune asked Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald after the win Sunday what his concern level is with Darnold’s turnovers.
The coach took a micro view. It’s not like at 10-3 after winning 37-9 that Macdonald was going to go Chicken Little on Darnold’s interception Sunday.
Without mentioning the rookie by name, Macdonald said the play is a catch Arroyo must make.
“It’s a contested catch that we need to be able to make,” Macdonald said.
Darnold blamed himself. He said his throw to Arroyo was too high, and not into Arroyo’s body where the 6-foot-5, 254-pound tight end could have boxed out the smaller Terrell (6-1, 200).
“Elijah’s such a big body. I feel like I left that one kind of high for him,” Darnold said. “If I could just get that one down, he could box out almost like a rebound in basketball and get the ball.”
When you win by 28 — when your defense is playing so well the one member of it who played with the “Legion of Boom” says this unit is beginning to remind him of that Super Bowl one — the turnovers don’t kill. Not when your defense is taking the ball away three times in the second half, as Seattle’s did Sunday from Atlanta.
But the Falcons absolutely are not the Rams (10-3). They aren’t the 49ers (9-4). Those are the rivals Darnold and the Seahawks each must beat over the final four games to win the division and have home playoff games.
Darnold threw four interceptions to tie the most of his career when the Seahawks lost 21-19 at Los Angeles last month. He lost a fumble in the red zone in the final minute of a 17-13 loss to San Francisco way back in week one.
Get the gist? As great as the Seahawks defense is playing, Darnold not giving the ball away is the key to how this promising Seattle playoff run sets up — then ends up.
“Obviously, in the first half didn’t get off to the start that we wanted to offensively. I think we did most of everything that we wanted to, we just didn’t finish in the red zone,” Darnold said. “For us, that’s kind of been a thing. We’ve just got to continue to finish in the red zone and harp on that throughout the week.
“But we did a great job in the second half of coming back and finishing the game strong. I feel like our defense and obviously our special teams, the way that they started the second half is unbelievable.
“Our defense has been playing well all year. We know how good they are on that side of the ball.
“But,” Darnold said, “as an offense we’ve got to continue to sustain the drives. We’ve got to sustain our success throughout the season and throughout the game. If we continue to do that, I feel like we’ll be in a good spot as a team.”
Seahawks defense rises again
Once again after a turnover by Darnold, as it has most of this season, the Seahawks defense said “nope.”
It pushed the Falcons backwards after the turnover, into a 50-yard field-goal try.
Do-it-all rookie Nick Emmanwori sprinted in off the edge to block it. The game remained tied at 3. Emmanwori finished with six tackles, a sack, two quarterback hits, two tackles for losses, the interception and a pass defensed.
“Tremendous game,” Macdonald said. “We gave out some game balls, and he got one of the game balls. I’m really happy for him. He’s worked his tail off. He really has. He does it every day.
“He’s a tremendous asset for us.”
Julian Love, Jarran Reed return
Julian Love returned from injured reserve after missing nine of the first 12 games with a hamstring issue. Love started. He was up fast on a third-down tackle in the first half. And he was on the field during the Falcons’ 2-minute drive late in the second quarter.
Ty Okada, who replaced Love as starter the last two months, alternated series with the Pro Bowl veteran as part of Love’s “pitch count” limitation. The blowout allowed the coaches to rest Love for much of the second half.
The head coach went out of his way after this game to praise Okada (four tackles, a tackle for loss, a pass defensed), unsolicited.
“I just want to take a second: Ty Okada deserves a massive shout-out from the coaches, everybody,” Macdonald said. “This guy has played incredible football for us. All he does every day is just prepare his tail off. He’s a phenomenal teammate. He plays so hard. He executes at a high level. Everything matters to him.
“We’ve played great defense since he had to take over for Julian,” Macdonald said of Okada. “I know his production isn’t as high. But, man, this guy. I just love having him. I’m really happy for him. He’s playing really, really well.
“So shout-out to Ty.”
Jarran Reed also returned from injured reserve. The veteran entered for the game’s sixth play and remained in the rotation at defensive tackle.
Reed played with a big, black wrap over his surgically repaired, right wrist.
“It felt great to be back,” Reed said.
“When I get them pads on, everyone gets to a different place. When you in it, you in it.”
This story was originally published December 7, 2025 at 5:05 PM.
